Forever and Always
by Mac and Bloo Cheese
Summary: The Bakers thought they were safe, happy almost, once Tom got a new job closer to home they began spending more time together as a family…but the kids aren't as close as they used to be. They're starting to drift apart. Will they ever be the happy family that Tom had always promised them they would be? Set after the 1st movie. Reviews are appreciated.


It was raining.

Again.

It hadn't stopped, not for four days.

And each day, she stood by the sink in the kitchen, sipping her morning coffee, waiting for the kids to wake up for school, just watching.

Waiting, for anything to happen.

The tall Grandfather clock struck seven, and rang loud and clear throughout the house. Loud enough to wake up her kids for school.

It was Monday morning, the most dreaded morning in the Baker residents, which meant the start of a new week.

Charlie wasn't home, of course. Kate had no clue where he was.

Lorraine was in bed. She didn't have school today. Teachers strike, apparently.

Henry was the first one down the stairs. He was big, muscle wise, due to all the high school football he now played. Then came Sarah, Jake, Mark and Mike.

The two sets of twins, Kim and Jessica and Nigel and Kyle were the last ones down the stairs. They were the only ones who had changed into their school clothes already.

"Morning," they all chorused, and didn't speak a word more, except to each other as they collected their allocated plates and cups of orange juice and sat down at the table, beginning to eat the already prepared breakfast that Kate had gotten up at six in the morning to make just for them.

"It's raining again," Mark commented from his seat right next to his mother. They were now of course closer after the run-away incident a couple of weeks earlier.

"Thanks for that, genius," Sarah retorted as she chewed slowly on her eggs. Jake and Mike stifled their laughs.

Mark rolled his eyes. He knew she was just joking. After the incident, she promised him they'd all be nicer to him, and they had stuck to that promise as well, apart from the playful sibling banter that pondered around every so often, like now for instance.

"That's enough," Kate said simply as she watched her children eat. She noticed Kyle and Nigel, her only set of identical twins, whispering to each other quietly.

"Is everything all right over there?" Kate asked her boys. Everybody glanced towards their youngest siblings.

"Yes," Nigel and Kyle both said in unison.

Kate wasn't sure whether to believe them or not.

"Don't forget your umbrellas today, guys. I don't want to have you dripping from head to toe with a cold when you come home this afternoon," Kate commented, sipping the last mouthful of her warm coffee.

Mike spoke, "Then can we just stay home then?" he said hopefully.

Kate laughed. "Nice try, Mike, nice try. You still have to go to school, whether it's raining or not."

"Well then why is Lorraine still in bed?" Mike asked angrily.

"Because it's a teachers strike day at her school, so it's closed for the day," Kate replied, placing her coffee mug down on the table and her hands in her lap.

"But…" Mike faltered, still obviously trying to think of a way to get out of school. "What if I fall and break my leg on the way to school, could I stay home then?" he asked.

Kate laughed. "I'm sure that won't be happening, Mike. You're going to school today, whether you like it or not," she said, turning her attention back on the rain outside. It was getting so heavy, that she could barely see out the window.

And Mike most certainly did not like it.

"Why don't you want to go to school today, Mike?" Jake asked his little brother in a low voice. Sarah was chatting away happily with Kim about who knows what.

"It's none of your business," Mike stated simply, as he took another bite of his toast.

By the time the kids were finished with breakfast, they all cleared away the table and put their dishes in the dishwasher on Kate's commands.

"I'm going to be late home this afternoon mom," Henry said. "I have football practise."

"Yeah me too," Sarah added.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "You have football practise too? Since when?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "No mom, I meant that I have something else on, of course I don't play football, it's too rough for my liking…" she said.

"Well, okay honey. What time will you be home?" Kate asked, grabbing her keys while the rest of the kids went upstairs to get changed and get their schoolbags from their rooms.

"Um…5:30?" Sarah said.

"Five thirty?" Kate said in a surprised tone. "What could you possibly be doing at school that finishes at five-thirty?"

"Um…just some extra curricular stuff. I'll see you later mom!" Sarah said. She had changed already, and had her backpack over her shoulders and dashed out the door.

"Hmmm…"

"Okay, are we all ready to go?" Kate said as she saw her children walk down the stairs with their bags and clothes. They also had their over coats on since it was so cold outside, because it was the end of November.

"Yep," Jake said, leading the way out of the house towards their car.

Kate followed the rest of her kids out of the house and towards the car, not seeming to care that she was still in her dressing gown, she would be home soon anyway, she figured.

The journey to school didn't take that long, surprisingly. She pulled up in front of the large building and watched as her kids climbed out and ran off into the school with the rest of the children.

Somebody beeped their car horn behind, and Kate moved forward. She drove up to the crossing, still looking out the window at the rain.

It happened all of a sudden.

A loud bump, screams, and pleads.

Kate stopped her car.

Was this real? She wondered…

"Oh my God," she said. Her pyjamas were soaked when she climbed out, as she knelt down by the front of her car.

There was blood everywhere.

She had hit a child.

The rain kept pouring even harder, and lightning flashed across the sky, signalling the storm that was about to happen.

* * *

**Hehe, I know, y'all want to know what happens next...if you leave a review, I'll let you know... ;) **


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